Adventuring With Analise ✓

Chapter 31 - Will

Chapter 31 - Will

    "I invited them to live with us, Lise, and Alisha accepted."

It was the next day, and still Annie seemed shell shocked at the news. At first, she'd been upset because Drew didn't ask her. She later told me she wasn't upset about living with a little girl and her mom who were about to be kicked out of their house, but she was upset she wasn't consulted because they told each other everything.

Annie asked her why she couldn't live with her parents, out of pure curiosity, and it was because their landlord wouldn't allow children. Analise's concern was warranted though, because Drew and Alisha had only been dating for around two weeks and it was really early to move in together.

We were now on the way to my house the next day, and I could only hope my mom didn't spring any news like that on me. The foreboding feeling about something going wrong today wouldn't go away, but I hoped it would. I wanted to enjoy this dinner, and once I got the approval from my mom I'd be taking Analise on that date.

We got to my house in the nick of time, since my mom hated tardiness. Analise plastered a pseudo smile on her lips and I kissed her cheek, causing it to morph into a genuine one. "She'll love you," I assured her in a whisper as I fiddled with my keys, getting the house key between my thumb and index finger. I put it into the lock, twisting it and pushing the door open.

"William?" My mom called, and the smell of food wafted to my nostrils. My mom was hardly home to cook and the smell of her famous shepherd's pie reminded me of a time before my dad died and my mom was a workaholic.

"Yeah ma!" I called, ushering Analise in and closing the door.

My mom came bustling out of the kitchen donned in a white button up shirt with the sleeves rolled to her elbows, a pair of blue jeans, and an apron. I visibly let my mouth fall open at the site of my mom in anything but a blouse and pencil skirt combo. Mom frowned, looking Analise up and down and I clenched my fist behind my back. "You're not Mallory."

I groaned, rubbing a hand over my face in apprehension while Analise tensed beside me. "No ma'am, I'm not."

"I thought you were going with Mallory, William," Mom mumbled, turning to me with her nose turned up. I had to turn this around and fast because if my snobby mother didn't like Analise we'd have a problem.

"No mom, I went to the dance with Mallory. Mom, this is Analise. Analise, this is my mom."

"Nice to meet you, ma'am," Analise mumbled nervously, her eyebrows furrowed and I could tell she was sensing the tension. I grabbed her hand to calm her down, which it did, but the action didn't go unnoticed by my mom. She eyed our hands with a hard gaze before turning around and going into the kitchen. My eyes widened at the doorway she just went into and I turned to Analise.

"Analise, I'm so sorry," I apologized on my mothers behalf, wrapping my arms around her.

She frowned up at me. "Your mom doesn't like me."

I shook my head. "I don't care. Let's have dinner and see what happens."

*

The rest of dinner was not much better, and soon we were all awkwardly finishing up the last bites of our dinner. Every few seconds I'd catch my mom eyeing Analise distastefully and I'd give her a look, trying to get across to her to cut it out and yet she continued. Finally, I got fed up and slammed my fork down. "Ma, what gives?"

My mom, ignoring me, turned to Analise. "How are your grades?"

Analise, who'd been silently eating this entire time uncomfortably, looked like she was holding back anger. But, still she was polite. "Pretty good. A's and B's, ma'am."